Murder at 1534 Lane
by Princess Lucy
Summary: one country estate,one murder six suspects can the Pevensie find the murderer in time
1. Chapter 1:Monday

**This is a murder mystery .The Pevensie children are staying with a family friend in a country mansion almost like Professor Kirke'. parents are on a trip to Scotland. There are six more guests at the house. Most of the guests are being blackmailed by Thomas. There are also the servants who are not suspects. I only own my ocs. Murder is going to happen right in the first chapter**

**Thomas: victim**

**Sylvia: hostess not a suspect though she is named in her husband's will**

**John: guest suspect# 1 was being blackmailed by Thomas**

**Dorothy: guest suspect # 2 also being blackmailed.**

**Robert: guest suspect # 3 has a grudge against Thomas. his company was sued by him.**

**Bertha: guest suspect #4 being blackmailed**

**Arthur: guest suspect# 5 was cheated out of a hundred pounds during a card game.**

**Mary:guest Suspect #6:also being blackmailed **

**Monday:**

Normally when Helen and George Pevensie went on a holiday they did one of two things took their four children with and it turned into a family holiday or let them stay home and had the neighbour look in on them .But this time Helen received a phone call from an old finishing school friend ,Sylvia, asking if the children could spend a few weeks with her and her husband at their country estate.

Now they stood in front of a four story tudor style estate with turrets and a curving staircase leading up to the oak french doors. Peter pulled the rope and they could hear chimes coming from inside the mansion,the door opened and a dour looking man looked at them.

"This way." was all he said before stepping back . The four of them looked at each other then followed the man into the front front room had swirl marble floors .several pictures by famous artists and a large fern in a corner. There was also a fountain in the middle of the room.

"What's the point of that." Edmund asked referring to the fountain.

"Wow these people are opulent" Susan commented

Edmund looked at her then turned to Peter,"I wish she'd speak English like the rest of us."

"I was." Susan said in injured tones.

"That means they're rich." Peter said.

"She could have just said that." Edmund said dryly.

Peter laughed ,then looked over at Lucy,who had been silent,she was hopping from one foot to the next.

"Lu,what are you doing." he asked.

"I need to go to the bathroom." Lucy said.

"You were supposed to go before we told you." Susan said,"We can't go wandering about someone house looking for a 's rude."

"I think we can make an exception unless you want her to have an accident." Peter said taking Lucy's hand ."Who knows we might run into the creepy butler or another servant who might show us where the bathrooms are" they left the front room.

Edmund wandered over to one of the paintings ,"I wonder if these are originals are duplicates."

"They're originals." a soft female voice said .A lovely woman about thirty glided into the room she had light brown hair arranged on in a french braid with a few tendrils escaping smiled.

"I'm Sylvia,you must be the Pevensie children,but I thought there were four of you." she said looking a bit confused.

"Our older brother Peter took our little sister Lucy to find a bathroom." Susan explained,"I'm Susan and this is Edmund."

Sylvia nodded,"Well,we'll wait for them and I can show you all to your rooms at the same time. I hope you don't mind,but for some reason my husband invited five other guests to spend a week with us."

They shook their heads .Peter and Lucy came back into the room.

Sylvia smiled at them,"Now that were all here,I can show you your rooms."

*********************************************************************

They met the other guests at dinner,three men and three women Sylvia introduced them,"Everyone these are the children of a very dear friend of mine from finishing school,Peter,Susan ,Edmund and Lucy ,these are some friends of ours and my husband Thomas." she said motioning to a man seated at the head of the table in front of him was a rack of lamb.

Throughout the course of the dinner they found out the names of the other guests sitting on the right side from left to right was John,Bertha and Mary all of them were involved in some sort of business,Mary and Bertha both had rich tycoon husbands and John owned his own clothing department.

On the left side of the table was Robert ,Dorothy and Arthur. They also were involved in business of some sort,Robert was an entrapneur .Arthur owned several shoe stores and Dorothy's husband had died leaving her with millions from his company.

Soon as dinner was over everyone retired to parlour for dessert.

"So."Mary said looking over at the children,"Where do you children live."

"Finchley." Peter said.

"Oh are you in any way related to Harold Pevensie the rich tycoon." Bertha asked.

"Not really." Susan replied wondering why that even mattered.

"Oh."Bertha looked disappointed.

"Where does your father work." Robert asked.

"He's a pilot he flew domestic planes then he flew aircraft carriers for the RAF " Edmund said proudly.

"I detest talk of unpleasant things .I wish I could sleep until this nasty war was over." Bertha said.

"Where's Thomas." Arthur asked suddenly.

"He normally takes a brandy and cigar in his office."Sylvia explained.

*********************************************************************

Several hours passed,at different times the guests left the room for different reasons.A few minutes after Dorothy left for the second time ,they heard a blood curdling scream coming from the study,everyone ran toward the study and pushed their way inside.

Dorothy was standing in the middle of the room,screaming,lying in the middle of the floor was Thomas ,with a pair of scissors sticking out of his back,there was also a pool of blood surrounding him.

Sylvia fainted and Arthur caught her. Peter pushed Lucy behind him. Susan paled and turned away. Edmund who had devoured every single Sherlock Holmes mystery he could get his hands on, looked around,he spotted a stack of papers lightly in disarray lying on the desk and picked them they might be very useful.

Later that night after the other guests had gone to bed,the four of them gathered in the boys' room to talk about the mysterious murder of their host.

"Who would do such a thing,he seemed so nice ." Susan said.

"That's the keyword "seemed" he was actually blackmailing the guests." Peter said looking up from the manuscript.

"Did the other guests know."Susan asked.

"I would think so,but the question is who knows what and who did it." Edmund said


	2. Chapter 2:Tuesday

**A/N : I only own well you know who I own**

**Tuesday**

"Peter,how do you know the guests were being blackmailed?" Susan asked the next morning

"It's in this paper ,right here '_Those who's song is heard must pay the piper' _" Peter said .

"Well how many guests were being blackmailed ." Edmund asked.

"What difference does that make,there's even ten likely suspects in this house." Susan said.

"Nine." Peter corrected."Sylvia can't be a suspect ,but we might be able to eliminate the servants,which leaves our six guests .Remember all of them left the room at one point or another."

"Arthur did ask where Thomas was." Edmund reminded them.

They went down to breakfast the other guests were already seated,they looked up as the children entered,then looked back down at their plates.

"Thank goodness the murderer left ." Bertha said.

"Who says they even did ." Edmund asked bluntly .

"Are you saying one of us is a murderer." John demanded half rising from his chair.

"No ones saying that,but all of you have a motive for wanting him dead." Peter said putting the sheets of paper in the middle of the table; everyone leaned forward.

"What do you mean,we all have a motive,"Arthur asked looking at them.

"Four of you were being blackmailed,one of you was cheated out of a hundred pounds at a card game and one of you nearly lost your company when Thomas decided to sue." Peter said taking back the papers,"It's all in these papers."

"This is just ridiculous,you four are children,what do you know about murders?" Arthur snapped,he turned to the other guests," As far as we know the murder could have been some deranged maniac ."

"It was raining last night." Susan pointed out.

"She's right,if it was some deranged maniac,there would have been broken glass and the carpet would have been wet,also the papers would have been on the floor." Mary spoke up.

The four of them looked at her in surprise,then Peter said,"She has a point."

*********************************************************************

"So how do you think Thomas died." Edmund asked,he,Peter and Susan were in Thomas' study,Lucy was with Sylvia and the other guests were occupied. It was dark and rainy outside .

'Why are we even in here,it's creepy with the corpse right way he was stabbed then hit over the head " Susan said staying as far from the body as she could .

"Clues." Peter said examining the body as best he could,there seemed to be nothing amiss,but then he looked closer at the body ,there seemed to be no blood around. the stab wound."Anyway Su,you're wrong,Thomas didn't die from being stabbed,he died from being hit on the head,I think the knife was put in there to throw anyone who investigated off the scent."

"Aha! that means somewhere in this house is the missing murder weapon." Edmund said looking gleeful .

"You're enjoying this too much." Susan said darkly looking at her brothers.

"What we should do is try to see who had the most to gain by killing Thomas." Peter said .

"Why now,why not before when they had a must have had tons of oppurtunities. According to the maids,they've all been several times ." Susan said .

"Yes,but did they really have a chance,I think whoeover killed Thomas waited until there were alot of guests ." Peter replied,they left the study.

Everyone was in the parlour, having biscuits and tea,Sylvia looked up when they entered,her eyes were red rimmed. "My guests tell me you suspect them of murder." she said softly.

'They have no proof." Dorothy said looking at them over her teacup.

"We have some proof." Peter said turning to Sylvia,"Your husband was blackmailing four of your guests. One of them was cheated out of a hundred pounds and one of them nearly lost his company when your husband decided to sue. Problem is we don't know who fits what. Well,it's actually not proof it's motive."

Sylvia paled,"Oh dear" she murmured.

"How do we know one of you four didn't do it?" Robert demanded.

"We never left the study." Susan pointed out .

"That's not true,your little sister left the study a few minutes before the body of Thomas was discovered." Arthur said snidely."She was gone for twenty minutes,she had enough time to murder Thomas and come back."

"That seems unlikely,she's just a little girl." Sylvia said coming to Lucy's defense.

"Besides she doesn't even know where the study was." Edmund replied."More than likely she got lost."

"That does sound more likely,honestly accusing a child of murder,perhaps you're the murderer." Bertha murmured shaking her head.

Arthur sputtered and turned red,but no words came from his mouth,he finally sat back.

"What else did you find out?" Sylvia sked twisiting her handkerchief,everyone else looked at them .

"Thomas died from a being hit over the head with some sort of object." Peter said.

"But what about the knife,in his back?" Mary asked.

"I think that was put there to throw anyone off the scent." Peter said looking at Edmund,he knew about stuff like that.

"How can we help?" Bertha asked.

"Hold on just a minute they're children,what do they know about solving murders,why don't we let the professionals solve the murder." Arthur demanded.

"Were trying to help." was all they said.

"I think it's a good idea,they might be young,but they seem to know about stuff like this.I for one want to be eliminated from the list of suspects." John said,the others agreed and turned to the three of them. That was when they realised like it or not,they were now investigating a murder.


	3. Chapter 3:Wednesday

**Wednesday:**

The next morning,the four of them started searching for clues. Trying to find out who had murdered Thomas. The problem was it was harder than they figured it would be. They were in the study,looking in the desks for anything that might help them.

"There's nothing here that could help us even the slightest " Susan sighed blowing a strand of hair out of her face. She dropped onto the chair.

"There has to be something here. We can't give up." Lucy said desperately they all had looks of defeat on their faces.

Edmund got to his feet,and went over to the bookcase,he pulled out a book ,flipping through it.

"Ed,what are you doing? now's not the time to be reading?" Peter said looking over at him.

"In most of the mystery books I ever read sometimes people put clues in other books,maybe Thomas did the same thing." Edmund said in a matter of fact tone.

"What makes you think he did." Susan asked.

"Wouldn't hurt to look." Edmund shrugged,browsing through the looked up a smile spreading across his face,he was holding a manila envelope.

They jumped to their feet and Peter reached for the upeneded the envelope and a leather book fell out.

"What's that." Susan asked curiously.

Peter shrugged and picked up the book opening it. He flipped through a few pages,then looked up at them.

"John,Dorothy,Bertha,Martha and Mary are all being blackmailed,it says so right here. He wrote the names down in this book."

"What about Arthur and Robert." Edmund asked .

"Robert's company was sued by Thomas,they lost quite a bit of money too. A few years back,Arthur and Thomas were playing a card won a hundred pounds,but Arthur called him a cheat and vowed to get revenge." Peter said reading through the book.

"Hold it,that diary sounds likes it's written from an outsiders point of that Thomas's diary." Edmund asked.

"Of course it is ,who's else would it belong to." Susan asked .

"Not necassarily,it could belong to anyone." Peter said.

."Maybe we should ask the servants if they know anything." Susan suggested."They'd know stuff about Thomas wouldn't they."

**************************************************************************

The servants unfortunately knew nothing that could help them. They were reluctant to speak ill of the dead .

"You know he can't hurt you." Susan said desperately to Lydia ,who was dusting the artifacts upstairs."What was he like? Why would he blackmail his own friends?"

Lydia laughed,"My goodness,they weren't friends ,in fact Thomas hated all six of them." she leaned forward,"I don't know why,he always invites them back unless it was to find out their darkest secrets."

"Which he did." Susan said nodding."Thanks Lydia." she said ,she went to find her brothers.

The three of them compared notes,"So he only invited them so he could find out stuff about 's a bit mean." Edmund said.

"Don't you think we should look for the murder weapon." Susan asked.

"No,as far as we know,it's probably around here somewhere,that's not important,what is is the murderer." Peter said looking through the diary,"He threatened to go public with what he knew,whoever killed him had alot to Thomas did go public."

"But that's the problem,they all had something to 't they." Susan pointed out.

""Look what I found!" Lucy cried running into the room waving a envelope,the other guests and Sylvia behind her.

"What do you have,Lu." Peter asked taking the envelope from his little opened the envelope and several pieces of paper fell out onto the floor. Edmund picked them up looking over them.

"What are they?" John asked .

Edmund shrugged,"I don't know."

"Well,what have you found out so far." Arthur demanded to know.

"Not much."Peter admitted,"but we did find out that Thomas was threatening to expose Mary,Bertha,John and Dorothy. "

"What about Arthur and Robert." Mary asked softly.

"What about them,they don't have any secrets at least none that Thomas knew have no motive to want to kill Thomas." Peter replied.

"So it's down to only the four of us." Bertha asked.

"Looks like." Susan said .

***********************************************************************

"You know what I think,I think the murder was a two person job." Edmund said.

"Why do you say that?" Peter at him.

"Think about it,whoever killed Thomas wouldn't have time to stash the real weapon carefully and go find a knife." Edmund replied."So someone else must have hid the weapon,while the other person stuck the knife in Thomas' back."

"Do you think this place has any secret rooms,the murder weapon might be stashed there." Susan said.

"We could ask Sylvia,she would know." Peter said.

"This house is huge,there must be over a hundred rooms ,how will we ever find out where the weapon is stashed,if it's even in a secret room." Susan said."Besides what if they don't know about the secret rooms if there even are any."

"A house like this would have to have some sort of secret passages or rooms ." Edmund said.

"Not necassarily,the professors house didn't."Susan reminded them.

"It might have,we just never looked for any rooms,because the Macready didn't like us wandering about where we didn't belong." Peter pointed out."We'll just have to ask Sylvia like I said."

"What if she doesn't even know."Edmund asked.

"Then we find out for ourselves." Peter shrugged.


	4. Chapter 4:Thursday

**Thursday**

"How many rooms does this house have?!" Susan asked looking at Peter in disbelief.

"Not including servants quarters,kitchens and bathrooms you mean?" Peter asked,"Nearly two hundred and Sylvia said there are secret passages in alot of the rooms."

"I was thinking that it might not be necessary to even find the real weapon,it won't help us find out who the killers are,but what's in this envelope might." Edmund said ."Everyone has a motive something to hide,problem is figuring out who has more of a motive and I think I know who ."

Peter and Susan looked at him,"You found something out didn't you?" Peter asked,"By the way where's Lu."

"With Sylvia,but Ed,what'd you find out.?" Susan asked .

"Well,while you and Peter were busy worrying out weapons and secret rooms I thought to myself,"Who would really want to kill Thomas and why?" Edmund placed a leather book on the table." So I started looking for answers and I found this book. Thomas was like a spy,he knew everything about everyone. John lied ,he doesn't own his own company,he's in debt .Thomas paid the debtors off."

"What does that have to do with anything ?" Peter asked wondering what Edmund was getting at.

Edmund waved a hand impatiently,"I'm getting to asked- actually he ordered John to work for him ,to pay off his debt,If John quits anytime Thomas has threatened to take his house and he'll be in the street . There's more Mary and Thomas were seeing each other."

"John killed Thomas,that much is obvious,he was gone for twenty minutes remember,Mary followed soon after,they were both gone for nearly thirty minutes. That was enough time to kill Thomas with the fireplace poker.I noticed it's missing. Go to the kitchens and get a knife come back and stick it in his back."

"But that all seems like it takes only one person not two,how does two fit in,it doesn't take that long to hit someone over the head and kill them." Susan said.

Peter who up to now had been silent looked thoughtful," Not if the person isn't that strong enough to kill on the first blow;which makes me think,that it was Mary who killed Thomas and John who stuck the knife in his back. Mary must have already had the knife with her,but they had to wait until Thomas was dead."he said.

"Why do you think Mary did it." Susan asked .

"Edmund forgot something Mary's husband is rich,but he could also divorce Mary for infedelity. Thomas found out their tryst .Mary knows that if word got back to her husband. If he does everything she likes every luxury will end and she'll be out on the streets. She has no skills to fall back on and her family's dead. So without her husband's money,she's penniless." Peter said.

The sound of slow clapping at the doorway made them turn was standing in the doorway clapping,Mary next to him,holding a gun.

"Congratulation ,you children are quite the little detectives aren't you." John said mockingly,"Too bad none of what you found out will ever leave this room."

Susan looked at Mary,she was crying,she could barely hold the gun steady,that's when Susan realised how young Mary really was,she looked barely older than nineteen,twenty one at the most.

"Mary,you don't have to do this. You can still go to the police confess." Susan said softly.

"Shut up! you children think you're so smart,well you're was Thomas,I love Mary,her husband treats her like dirt. That's why Mary came to only knew half the story. "John said angrily ."You were half right when you said Mary killed Thomas,she did hit him over the head and while she was getting the knife which she had in her room. I finished the job." his entire countenance changed and he looked regretful,he bowed his head ."I was trying to protect her." suddenly without warning he took the gun from Mary pointing it at his head.

"Don't!" Mary sobbed "It's my fault," she turned to the three of them," Thomas was threatening to tell my husband what I was doing,he hates John,I don't know why. he just does. The first night I came,I went into the study to beg Thomas not to tell my husband,he was in the middle of writing a letter to him,my husband and Thomas are old school chums.I begged and cried ,but he was unfeeling and refused to tear the letter up.I saw red and grabbed the fireplace poker and hit him over the head. I was so scared. I got John and you know the rest,I never meant for any of this to happen."

"Mary,you have to turn yourself in." Susan said.

"No!" John yelled,"I'll tell them I did it. Mary's young. She has her whole life ahead of her. Me what do I have to look forward to,nothing bachelorhood,that's what." he seemed to be talking only to Mary now.

He looked at them,"I'll tell Sylvia,I killed Thomas,did you ever find the murder weapon?" he asked them.

"No,we think it might be in a hidden room." Peter said.

John nodded,"I suppose that's good then." he left the study to tell Sylvia .

**Last chapter next it'll be just a epilogue**


	5. Chapter 5: Friday: epilogue

**Friday Epilogue**

**This is going to be shorter than the others cause it's the last chapter.**

Friday the rain stopped and the electricity finally came back on,true to his word John told Sylvia that he had killed Thomas,he told her everything leaving the part about Mary out. Sylvia, revealed her own too was being bullied by Thomas and was afraid to say anything. It turned out that though Thomas could act like the ideal husband,he was not the ideal husband.

The children were amazed that all the guests had such deep hatred for ,Peter,Susan and Edmund did,Lucy was too busy being upset to be amazed at anything.

"It isn't fair,that you all got to solve a real murder mystery and I never got to help .You always treat me like a baby,I was grown up,you know." she reminded them .

"Next time there's a murder mystery you can help us." Peter said.

Lucy frowned ,"You're patronizing me." she said.

"Yes,we are." Edmund said ruffling her hair. the four of them headed down stairs to join the other guests.

**Told you it was short this is the end.**


End file.
